Just add water

[The Strain Man]

hey thanks 3rdeye at first I thought it was that leaf twist thing they do in new soil but then I noticed the plants that were not even in the new soil were doing same thing thats how I figured it was the tea I was giving them anyhow there fine now

 

[Nigel]

1 cup



NSPB

Thank you.

 

[guest2012y]

Howdy Strain Man The cooking time for the soil is important and more so for plants which are sensitive to environments that have a lot of readily available nutrients. When the microbes lock up some of the food, then it's ready to go. If you are running plants that are sensitive, then the might get a little leaf twist/crinkle when first put into this mix, but i'm guessing that after recycling it a time or two, that the micro life will have things balanced out.

I have to say that I have never "cooked" a soil before transplanting fresh clones into it. I started with the most ignorant and basic organic mix about 15 years ago and have since moved upward in this practice. I run into problems due to not "cooking" it,but I have enough experience to manage and overcome these issues rather quickly if (keyword "IF") they develop,and I'm talking like 2 pots out of 30 that have problems that I'll have to tend to and repair.(not a big deal at all) My mix is not Rev's mix...it's my own that I have personally adjusted to my style. As are many other's personal mixes here on this forum. I should "cook" my re-amended recycled organic soil,but I don't....and that's fine if you can manage it.
I would also recommend "cooking " a new fresh mix or a recycled mix if you do not have the experience to manage these problems if they arise. Especially in gardens where you only have a few plants.

 

[Yankee Grower]

My mix is not Rev's mix...it's my own that I have personally adjusted to my style. As are many other's personal mixes here on this forum.

There's a million ways to skin a cat....or grow organic in this case...lol. Lots of proven recipes out there.

 

[guest2012y]

Yeah,but who here has skinned a cat? LOL...That's all I'm pointing out,and it's pretty interesting that there are multiple recipes for the same great results....there is this variable in organic mixes. It's cool that there are some that are universal and easy to manage for beginners.

 

[Nigel]

COOK?

COOK?

So when you guys say "Cook the soil" you mean.... stir it all up a get it moist and churn it up and re-wet it from time to time. For a couple weeks or so before using?

 

[guest2012y]

I would say the common practice of "cooking" the soil is to mix it,moisten it and let it sit where it can breath for a couple weeks or longer in a warm environment before planting in.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong...I just don't do it.

 

[Phillthy]

i dont cook the soil mix i use either. just mix and pot.

 

[Yankee Grower]

So when you guys say "Cook the soil" you mean.... stir it all up a get it moist and churn it up and re-wet it from time to time. For a couple weeks or so before using?

Yeah basically that's it. What you're doing is kind of composting the mix and mainly letting the bacteria and fungi get established before you use it. I knew someone that would mix a fresh batch of soil and stick an empty pot in the top of each container the same size their transplants were coming from...like a 1 gal empty inside a 5 gal pot full of 'fresh' soil. They'd let the pots sit off to the side and let cook. With organics it's all about the microlife.

 

[guest2012y]

i dont cook the soil mix i use either. just mix and pot.

This shit happens! EDIT: As in this is possible and works.
A guy may run into a few problems,but overall I've never had issues that weren't my own fault due to the ignorance of not balancing a proper mix.

 

[3rdEye]

CC1 I think that main advantage of "cooking"/pre-conditioning is when using new soil mixtures. After the microbes are up and running then things should be taking care of themselves right?

Personally i only pre-condition my soil if i remember to make it far enough in advance. Otherwise i just mix and go also. No real issues as i mentioned earlier. Some strains will just curl up a bit when they get in the hot water. Since i am having to start recycling my soil again we'll see where this goes, but i'm anticipating having to do less and less.

 

[Albertine]

Oh, you guys! Here I was feeling like a skulking dog being so ashamed of not cooking my soil. They sure look great in spite of it, at least before they run out.


Just got some charcoal! From Freddies - it tests in the mid 6s to 7 - nice, except for having to bash it all up. Trying a charge of ewc tea with extra kelp and epsom salts. Maybe mix in some activated with it?

 

[guest2012y]

CC1 I think that main advantage of "cooking"/pre-conditioning is when using new soil mixtures. After the microbes are up and running then things should be taking care of themselves right?

I would think so....but I've never done it in the 15 years I've used even the most basic organic mixes.

 

[3rdEye]

Capt Cheeze so far i have only let two batches of soil sit long enough and that was mostly accidental. I am at the point where i can recycle about 20 gallons at a time. I'm not even breaking up rootballs. It seems that stems decompose very quickly when left attached to the rootball. I'm going to add a few tablespoons of dry amendments and use teas more after that point. Been reading up on a lot of threads and it seems that i should be able to source lots of stuff locally starting next year.

I'm considering moving to larger 5-10+ gal containers and just recycling in situ. Although it seems, from what i'm observing, that bigger containers really do provide benefits that might be related a level of microbial diversity that can not be replicated as readily in smaller containers. 20+gal better yet?

 

[MrFista]

Albertine - put N in the char. N is what the char will strip as it's a major building block of microbes that inhabit the char.

Water only - way to go. I'm not so purist though, with my teas.

 

[guest2012y]

Capt Cheeze so far i have only let two batches of soil sit long enough and that was mostly accidental. I am at the point where i can recycle about 20 gallons at a time. I'm not even breaking up rootballs. It seems that stems decompose very quickly when left attached to the rootball. I'm going to add a few tablespoons of dry amendments and use teas more after that point. Been reading up on a lot of threads and it seems that i should be able to source lots of stuff locally starting next year.

I'm considering moving to larger 5-10+ gal containers and just recycling in situ. Although it seems, from what i'm observing, that bigger containers really do provide benefits that might be related a level of microbial diversity that can not be replicated as readily in smaller containers. 20+gal better yet?

...after thinking about it,I have unintentionally cooked my soil. As in I didn't plan it,it just happened. Those batches did seem to have less issues....but again,the issues are manageable if they arise.

 

[Yankee Grower]

I'm not so purist though, with my teas.

I'm not a purist that way and believe that teas are much more important in container growing indoors or out than when direct in the ground. I'm not saying the goal is to only use water and would not necessarily make things better but do feel the more you top feed using bottles, even if organic, the further you are getting away from the 'ideal' as I see it.

 

[actech]

so easy

so easy

first run with water only. started with 3 bags of earth juice amazon bloom organic soil and one bag of light warrior. i ordered a product from stealthhydro.com called "magic mix". its everything you need to ammend your organic soil and be able to run water start to finish. mixed all that together and let it sit for a week. plants are 45 days in and nothing but water. ive got 1 female seeds grapefruit, 1 barneys farm red diesel, 4 purple pakis from ace seeds and 9 blue moonshine f2's from dj short beans i bought awhile back. will upload pics as soon as i figure out how.

 

[Yankee Grower]

I did do a run once to test Blackjack ferts in a basic soil I mixed using Foxfarm OF as a base and worked fine.

Blackjack Soil Co.

 

[FirstTimer76]

Alot of great info here guys.

To the member inquiring about maintaining mothers, Rev recommended Bontanicare's Organicare Pure Grow/Bloom dry nutrients for keeping plants viable at 2tbls/gal of soil. I have some & they recommend that you top dress every 2wks.

Recently got into organics & Rev recommended that same soil mix to me & I've got 3 Sour Jacks running in 1.5 gal pots of the basic mix with only greensand & lime added, with the floor recipe, & the spike recipe that he wrote up in the Vol 3/Issue 8 edition of Skunk Mag. Just fed them there first issue of his tea recipe that goes like this:

Here's a recipe I have been using lately with great success. Keep in mind, that my soil-mix is very powerful, and full of nutrients already, so this tea is not really for any feeding so much as it is for bringing your container into supernatural levels of life. They will, in turn, immobilize and mineralize the nutrient elements in your soil-mix and spikes, making your plants uber happy!

This one is super easy and cool to use every 10 days or so with a powerful soil mix...

IN 1 GALLON OF CHLORINE/CHLORAMINE FREE WATER, BUBBLE THE FOLLOWING WITH AN AIR-STONE FOR 24 - 36 HOURS AND APPLY DIRECTLY TO PLANTS.

* 1 cup earthworm castings and or fresh compost
* 1 teaspoon high N bird or bat guano (like 12-8-2 or 12-12-2 NPK)
* 1 tablespoon kelp meal and/or alfalfa meal
* 1 tablespoon molasses (unsulphured)
* 1 - 2 teaspoons liquid fishy ferts

Often what I like to do is add everything except the earthworm castings and let it bubble for several hours first. Then I add the castings. This way I feel that more of the life stays happy and healthy going into a liquid environment that has already begun to equalize to some degree. So check it out and see what you think if ya wanna.

- REv

Hope this helps someone....PEACE